The Last Annals of the Amazons
by HollyIvy Crown
Summary: Maia, the shield maiden of Penthesilea, records the last days of the Amazons.
1. Foreword

Foreword

I, Maia, daughter of Urania, granddaughter of Pheba, shield maiden to Her Highness Princess Penthesilea, am the last Amazon alive on the face of this earth. This truthful account relates how that came to be. I swear, by divine Ares and all of Mount Olympus that this is the entire truth, and nothing but the truth.


	2. Chapter 1

I

When I was younger, I often imagined I was a warrior in battle, like so many others of our people. By the time I was eleven, I was training to fight, wield a sword, shoot arrows, to ride and to defend myself. I also was taught reading, writing, arithmetic, history, geography and music.

When I was fifteen years old, I joined the army, like my mother, and immersed myself, training hard. I had a thirst to prove myself and even though I staggered back home with cuts and bruises, I knew I had achieved something.

It was a year later when their Royal Highnesses came to inspect our training. Princess Hippolyta and her sister Princess Penthesilea were beautiful, but their fierceness was renowned. A few years ago, there was a war against King Theseus of Athens, which we lost, but the king said he would leave us alone if he could take Hippolyta for his bride.

My mother Urania had seen Hippolyta in battle and told me that: 'Her shrieks were like that of a kite and when she fought Theseus she shouted at him as if he was her slave. He won the combat by a thread.'

This made me scared of their Royal Highnesses, and of what they might say if I did something wrong, so I tried to carry on my work as normal. Thank Ares they did not really remark on anyone, but just surveyed us from afar.

That day we had a tournament, where our regiment fought with wooden swords against each other. I won all my fights, apart from the one against Persea, my second cousin, who I am very close to. Our fight went on for some time, and it was probably because I was younger and wearier than her that she won.

I did not know the tournament really meant anything, until our commander Gaia made us stay behind after training was over. She introduced us to the Princesses, who asked Persea if she would like to be Hippolyta's shield maiden when Hippolyta moved to Athens.

My heart sank. I thought Penthesilea already had a shield maiden.

But Penthesilea asked me if I would like to be hers, and live with her at the palace. I was so happy when she smiled and embraced me. I was speechless. I left my mother and grandmother, and went to live in the palace in Thermiscyra, our capital city.

I was very content in the palace, where I attended on the Princess, practised warfare with her and helped her sacrifice to Ares, the god of war and Penthesilea's father.

Now before you believe any rumours about the race of the Amazons, I want to set the record straight. We do not cut off one breast so we can fight easily. Think how awkward it must feel and how utterly revolting it is. That tale is put around by Greek men, so Greek women would be afraid of us. But they only got that story from an accident Princess Hippolyta had involving sinister horseplay and a cruel, sharp spear. She survived because the breast was amputated, but it has not stopped her from being one of our proud leaders, whose deeds will be legend, and it took away none of her beauty or strength.

As there are no other Amazons left and the person who finds it will probably be Greek and men, they will not understand how the power of our people came from a race that was entirely female.

In our land, men were mutilated slaves and if they were not slaves they were imprisoned in the palace dungeons. For many years, I had never seen a man that had not been made lame, blind, deaf or dumb, or one who stood straight and was strong. Men were to be despised and hated as well as feared and kept well away from. Whenever a boy was born to an Amazon, he was either thrown into a river, smothered in his sleep, or, if the mother was too faint-hearted, she would send the baby to a torturer to be mutilated. Now I cannot understand how they could be so vicious and evil to a sweet baby, just because it would one day grow into a man.

You are probably thinking how we produced babies, for a woman cannot lie with another woman to conceive a child. Many girls of seventeen years or over annually went to the Gargareans in the Caucasus, to make sure our race did not die out. Like many of my friends, I never knew my father and did not have a strong desire to do so. I never went to the Gargareans, as I was a shield maiden. I had to remain a virgin like the Princess. I was glad I did not do it, for I found the whole idea repulsive. I was happy as I was, remaining with Her Highness for nearly a year, under her tutelage and guidance.

Then a letter came from Hippolyta in Athens. Theseus had been unfaithful to Hippolyta, even though they were not yet married, and he was now engaged to a princess of Crete called Phaedra. Hippolyta had given birth to a child whom Phaedra claimed to be her own and had called him Hippolytus.

Furious, Hippolyta wrote to Penthesilea, begging for aid and noting the wedding date. Penthesilea knew there was no question about it. Young and old, trained and untrained, we would all sail to Athens to assist our princess.


	3. Chapter 2

II

Nothing could have prepared me for this. None of the training I had been through, nor others' accounts of their first battles.

In my daydreams, I never imagined I'd feel like this. I assumed I'd be confident, cool, calm, collected, well-prepared… brave. Not a complete nervous wreck.

I looked around at my fellow soldiers, silent, gripping their spears, their eyes averted from each other.

All my life I'd been waiting for something like this to happen. Now it was the thing I dreaded the most.

But I was the shield maiden of the heir to our race – the Amazons, the race feared by many Greeks, whether they liked to admit it or not. I was meant to be fearless.

While we waited for our crucial signal outside the Athenians' temple, I felt like a traitor. I was a coward, and felt ashamed. I said a quick silent prayer to Ares, but it only made me feel even more guilty – not only was I letting down my mistress and countrymen, but also one of the gods.

My knees were tempted to knock together in fear; my heart beat was rapid and painful in my chest, already constricted with the lack of air inside; I felt faint.

I tried to forget my fears by looking at Penthesilea. Her face was grim and set towards the open entrance, too intent on listening to her sister's tirade against Theseus and Phaedra to notice me. I honed in on Hippolyta's words.

"First, you steal my betrothed, then my baby and then you get married without informing me – "

"Well, would it have been wise inviting you, who object to the union?" snarled Phaedra.

"Yes, because I should be the one in that dress, and taking your vows – "

"Hippolyta – " started Theseus.

"No, Theseus!" snapped Hippolyta, pointing one finger at him. "Don't you 'Hippolyta' me… I loved you – "

"You? Why should he love you?" crowed Phaedra.

"Shut up. You thief – "

"He just proposed to you so your people would leave him alone – "

"Oh, and didn't that ever occur to you – that he's marrying you for the same reason?"

I heard a huge gasp from the people gathered to witness the ceremony. I could not tell, but I bet Phaedra was turning an unnatural colour in fury.

"Do all of your people only have one breast?"

There was another intake of breath.

"Give me back my son, Phaedra, and I will leave you in peace," Hippolyta replied. It sounded like she was trying not to strangle her or retaliate in any way.

"I don't know where you got this silly idea from… Hippolytus is mine. He may have a similar name, but he has nothing to do with you."

There was a long pause.

"Fine… I curse you, Phaedra. May your bones rot, may Hippolytus bite you when you touch him – "

"Silence, you whore!" Theseus shouted, but Hippolyta kept going.

"Theseus, may you never be content. Suffer in Tartarus for all eternity. May my people take revenge – may the Amazons hunt you down – "

I was nudged by Penthesilea.

"Maia, ready?" she whispered, as everyone prepared for our entrance.

I felt sick.

I nodded. I couldn't say anything.

"Good," she replied.

I drew my sword with my sweaty and slippery hand.

I wasn't ready.

I know now that I never would have been.


	4. Chapter 3

III

What I remember most about the attack was my fear fleeing and adrenaline filling its place, seeping like blood into the empty spaces in my body.

Looking back, I do not feel proud of the massacre. We cut down innocent people in the congregation because they were in our way, and we wanted to goad Theseus into handing Hippolytus over to Hippolyta. Because of this, I only feel shame and guilt.

Though we slew almost everyone in the temple, it was a hollow victory, as many tragedies ensued.

While I was dodging swords and spears in the chaos, I caught sight of Penthesilea. She was fighting with Theseus, the flailing swords flashing in the firelight from the torches high up between the arches of the temple of Athena.

I saw Hippolyta come up behind Penthesilea and stand where she was, looking at the back of her head. Theseus's eyes flickered to her. Penthesilea obviously noticed this, as she swiftly turned around and, not wanting to give her other attacker a spare moment to hit her, plunged her sword into Hippolyta's chest.

With a gasp, she realised her mistake and screamed. Hippolyta fell to her knees and looked in disbelief at the hilt sticking out of her chest, and then at Penthesilea. I think I saw Hippolyta touch her sister's face before her body crumpled to the ground and was still. Theseus, taking advantage of this opportunity, fled from the scene.

My vision already blurred with tears, I ran after him but stopped at the sight of my grandmother, Pheba.

'But what's Grandma doing here?' I asked myself silently.

'Everyone's here… remember the proclamation? All the towns and villages were to be emptied. That's why we had so many ships, silly,' I answered myself.

I ran towards my grandmother.

Choking on her own blood, my grandmother lay on the stone temple floor. I tried to pull her to her feet, but her legs had been slashed, her frail bones broken. She shuddered and closed her eyes.

This was when I started to cry properly. I was oblivious to the fighting around me which was still going on. I cradled my grandmother's corpse, thinking about how she had held me in the same way when I was a young child.

When I had nightmares, my grandmother and mother would sit with me until I drifted back to sleep…

Mother.

I looked around for her… but as far as I could see, there was no sign of her.

I leapt to my feet and, avoiding the remaining warriors, tried to find her. I called out her name again and again. Once again I was that small child who had lost her mother in the market place, and was looking for her amid the tumult. If only.

I passed Penthesilea, tearing out her hair, ripping off her armour and crying out to Ares for forgiveness.

"Maia?" I heard a voice croak. I looked around wildly and saw Persea lying on the floor, her face bloody.

"Pers?" I squealed.

"Today's a good day to die," she mumbled.

I said nothing. My cousin had told me long ago that she wanted to die in battle, so she was confident that she was a true Amazon who fought till her very last breath.

"Don't stay by my side… keep on fighting – "

"But – "

"It's my death wish," Persea warned me as her eyes closed.

Between sobs, I pulled out my bow and an arrow from the quiver on my back. I had won many competitions back home – perhaps it would help me now.

There were two people still standing – Penthesilea and one of the more burly-looking soldiers of the king. I aimed for the nape of his neck and he fell to the ground.

I buried my face in my hands and wailed.


	5. Chapter 4

IV

I shed more tears than I had ever done in my life. I fell to my knees and pummelled the floor. I screamed, I swore, I cursed… I cursed Phaedra and Theseus. I cursed Athens…

My mistress had killed her sister and the remnants of our people lay dying around us. What were we to do now?

Would Theseus allow us to bury them, or would he and his men strip them clean of all their arms and burn their dead bodies before our very eyes?

These unanswered questions went round and round in my head in a desperate fashion.

I finally managed to wipe my eyes and I looked around for Penthesilea.

I had heard her say nothing since I slew the Athenian soldier. She was silent still as she stood in front of the huge statue of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and of that fateful city.

I got up from the stone floor I'd been crouched over and moved over to her, so we were standing side by side.

I looked at her face. All at once I felt as cold as ice as I realised that I'd never seen the expression etched into her countenance until now. It was one of fear.

Her eyes became fixed on the space between us.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked, moving backwards sharply.

I jumped and looked at her in utter confusion.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I – "

"Leave me be!" she shrieked again, turning her face away.

"But what have I – " I tried to ask.

"You smell putrid, and you all look foul. Why hound me? It's not my fault."

"Who – "

As if answering my question, though she could not hear me, she pointed wildly at the empty space in front of her.

"I know who you are – Alecto, Tisiphone and Megaera!"

I concluded she was delirious… she had to be. Everyone knew that the Furies didn't exist – it was a story mothers told their young children while they were putting them to bed, to make them fear ever doing anything wrong.

Penthesilea now moved towards the exit.

"Stop following me! Go away!" she cried.

I followed her, utterly bewildered.

She turned on me, her dagger drawn, eyes wild.

"I know you are immortal, but I will kill you nonetheless," she cried. I ducked and rolled out of the way, before she jabbed thin air and screamed. Her dagger, its golden hilt, encrusted with rubies, clattered to the temple floor.

"Leave me, don't kill me. It was a mistake. I had no idea it was you, sister."

I dismissed my doubts and it was then that I believed her.

'Great,' I thought. 'Now we have the Furies on our trail. And worse still, I can't see them, so I have no idea what they are doing to her.'

Penthesilea slid to the floor and started sobbing, banging her flailing fists on the floor. I took hold of her scratched arm and hoisted the princess to her feet.

I gently took hold of her face and turned her gaze towards me.

"It's me, Maia," I reassured her in a voice which I hoped was calm and soothing.

"We're going to go back to the ships," I lied, knowing that we would never be able to sail them without seven others… and who would aid two Amazons who had tried to kill the King?

I then remembered there was a small rowing boat tucked away near the side of one of the ships, which could be used in an emergency.

Penthesilea stirred...

"M-m-maia – "

"We have to go now, before they find out we've gone…"

"But, Hippolyta!"

"We have to leave her. Come on, we must go!"

I dragged Penthesilea out of the temple and we ran to our ships moored nearby.

When I heard the sound of soldiers behind us, I hastily quickened our pace.


End file.
